New s and notes from around the Thoroughbred racing world, compiled by Thoroughbred Racing Communications, Inc. (TRC) (212.371.5911..)
TRC DERBY NOTEBOOK, MAY 1
Trainer Cynthia Reese had quite a few problems when it came to helping owner Noreen Carpenito name the son of Devil's Bag-Chosen Lady who will start in the Kentucky Derby under the name of In Contention. 'We had 17 names rejected by The Jockey Club,' said Reese. 'They finally gave us a name.' Actually, The Jockey Club keeps a list of about 20 names on an 'Emergency List.' The names have been checked and are available for use in case an owner needs a name and doesn't have time to to go through the standard naming procedure.
City by Night, who has raced on seven different tracks in his 11-race career, is an excitable sort. Trainer Patrick Byrne calms his colt by stuffing cotton in his ears, which is removed in the starting gate.
When trainer Sonny Hine saddles Skip Away for his wife Carolyn, they will try to become the third husband-wife, trainer-owner team to win the Kentucky Derby. Jack and Katherine Price won with Carry Back in 1961 and Mr. & Mrs. Charles Durnell had Elwood in 1904. The Durnell's differed on Elwood's capabilities, though. Trainer Charles didn't think the horse belonged in the race, had an argument with his wife and didn't even bother to show up for the race.
Churchill Downs has issued over 2,000 media credentials for the 122nd running of the Kentucky Derby. Media representatives are here from all over the United States, Canada, Japan, Italy and England.
Hine's colt, along with Louis Quatorze, are the only two Derby entrants that have dosage figures above 4.00. Only one horse with a dosage above that mark has won the Derby since 1929. Said Hine, 'There are 80,000 horses who do qualify and none of them are here!'
Silver-haired Bob Baffert, who will saddle Cavonnier and Semoran in the Derby, promised to run naked through the Santa Anita stable area if Cavonnier won the Santa Anita Derby. He did, and still hasn't lived up to his promise. When pressed on when he might be seen 'au natural' on the backstretch, Baffert said, '[trainer] Walter Greenman has white hair too. I'll give him a few hundred dollars to do it.'
Kentucky Derby seats are hard to come by, as evidenced by this joke making the rounds in the backstretch this week.
A guy sees a lady sitting in a nice seat in the clubhouse with an empty one beside her as post time for the Derby approaches..
He says to her, 'That's a good seat, I'm surprised to see it empty. "
The lady replies, 'It was my husband's, but he died.'
The guy then asks, 'Didn't any of your family or friends want to use it?'
She says, 'They did, but they're all at the funeral.'
LUCKY SEVEN FOR ARTHUR HANCOCK
Arthur Hancock, the co-owner of Corker, won the Kentucky Derby with Gato del Sol in 1982 and with Sunday Silence in 1989 and being a superstitious type, he already feels some omens that point to victory this year.
'This is the seventh horse raised at [Hancock's] Stone Farm, it's the seventh horse trainer Charlie Whittingham has run in the Derby and it's been seven years since Sunday Silence won it,' Hancock said. 'If we draw post position seven, bet your money!'
The six previous Derby runners who were raised at the Paris, Ky. Stone Farm are Tap Shoes, Gato Del Sol, Risen Star, Skywalker, Sunday Silence and Strodes Creek.
The Running Horse (http://www.isd1.com/alauck)